China to curb investment in small-scale coal-based projects

7:46 AM MDT | July 25, 2014 | Natasha Alperowicz

China's National Energy Administration (NEA; Beijing) has told local authorities to curb irrationally developing coal-to-oil and coal-to-gas projects, after new technology sparked an investment spree regardless of environmental and economic realities, the Xinhua news agency reports. China will ban coal-to-gas projects with capacity smaller than 2 billion cubic meters and coal-to-oil facilities that produce 1 million m.t. or less, NEA says. Larger projects will be subject to regulatory approval from the state council, NEA adds. Data show that nearly 70% of...